Dental implant system and method of use

Abstract

A dental implant system includes an implant having a well, an abutment having a post shaped to be received in the well, and a collar modifiable to the gingival anatomy and the tooth restoration anatomy. Both the implant and the abutment are made from a millable ceramic, and the abutment post and/or the implant well have grooves carved therein. In one embodiment, the implant and the abutment are joined one to the other with a retentive elastomeric product containing micro-bubbles and/or micro-spacers. The dental implant system may be produced using a computer-readable medium containing instructions for analyzing surface data and X-ray data, for developing contour data of the implant and of the abutment according to the anatomy of the patient, and for generating machine instruction for milling the implant and the abutment from blocks of the millable ceramic.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A dental implant system comprising:
 an implant having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an upper surface annularly connecting the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a well projecting from the upper surface into the implant, the implant being monolithic and made from a millable ceramic; and 
 an abutment having a post, a stump, and a collar, the post having a shape configured to engage the well while leaving a gap therebetween, the stump and the collar being configured to support a dental restoration, the collar extending outwardly from the abutment at a transition between the post and the stump and having a lower outer perimeter substantially equal to an outer perimeter of the upper surface of the implant, the abutment being made from the millable ceramic, 
 wherein one or more grooves are defined in a wall of the post and one or more recesses are defined in a wall of the well extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post, and 
 one or more grooves are defined in the wall of the post and one or more recesses are defined in the wall of the well extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the post. 
 
     
     
       2. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the millable ceramic comprises zirconia. 
     
     
       3. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the collar has one or more of variable thickness or width. 
     
     
       4. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of,
 the upper surface of the implant and a bottom surface of the collar, or 
 an upper surface of the collar and a margin of the dental restoration, are shaped with matching curved surfaces. 
 
     
     
       5. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the well and the post have parallel frustoconical shapes. 
     
     
       6. The implant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a retentive elastomeric product to be disposed in the gap. 
     
     
       7. The implant system according to  claim 6 , wherein the retentive elastomeric product has micro-bubbles therein such to provide elasticity and compressibility within the gap. 
     
     
       8. The implant system according to  claim 6 , wherein the retentive elastomeric product further comprises micro-spacers such to provide a distance between the well and the post. 
     
     
       9. The implant system according to  claim 8 , wherein the micro-spacers are of substantially equal diameter. 
     
     
       10. The implant system according to  claim 6 , wherein the retentive elastomeric product comprises an elastomeric product that is resistant to one or more of biological or mechanical degradation. 
     
     
       11. The implant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for manufacturing the dental implant system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
 analyzing surface data and X-ray data to produce a three-dimensional model of a jaw and a tooth of a patient; 
 developing contour data of the implant and of the abutment suited for an anatomy of the patient; and 
 producing machine data for milling the implant and the abutment from blocks of the millable ceramic. 
 
     
     
       12. The implant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a healing cap configured to cover the implant after placement in a patient during a period of integration of the implant within a bone of the patient, wherein the healing cap is configured to release an antibiotic composition. 
     
     
       13. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the collar is shaped to have an upper outer perimeter configured to match a transverse anatomical profile of a natural tooth. 
     
     
       14. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the implant is shaped to conform to a surrounding bony ridge of a jaw, and wherein the collar has a variable height set to provide optimal position in relation to a gingival crest and to improve cosmetic appearance. 
     
     
       15. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the collar has a flaring lateral surface. 
     
     
       16. The implant system according to  claim 1 , wherein a lowest groove in the wall of the post has no facing recess, such to decrease an amount of force required by a dentist to extract the post from the well. 
     
     
       17. The implant system of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of grooves and a plurality of recesses disposed in the wall of the post and in the wall of the well, and wherein at least some of the plurality of grooves and of the plurality of recesses are disposed respectively to be in facing relationship to one another when the post engages the well.